Entries Tagged 'Stargate SG-1' ↓

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"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…." was a tagline that brought the concept of SciFi into the mainstream and opened up our world and our imaginations. In the three decades following the launch of the Star Wars franchise, we have seen many incarnations of Science Fiction series come and many more go. Series like Star Trek, Babylon 5, FireFly, Battlestar Galactica, Andromeda, Earth: Final Conflict and a slew of others. However, there exists one unique franchise which has remained a prevalent player in the SciFi space despite the demise of much of their competition.

The Stargate Universe as an entity has existed since 1994 and has since grown into a global dynasty encompassing a Movie, 2 television series, comics, books, audio books, games, toys and an assortment of FanFiction.

The Stargate Universe all began with the initial film, written by Dean Devlin and directed by Roland Emmerich. The film turned out to be a mega hit with worldwide sales of $196,600,000 and a $55,000,000 cost of production. The film was initially intended to be part of a multi-film franchise however, due to scheduling issues and differences in creative visions between Devlin/Emmerich and MGM, the initial vision was never carried out. It was in fact this disagreement that led to the studio execs evaluating other ways to capitalize on the success of the film.

The executives decided a television series would allow for long-lasting opportunities and with that Stargate SG-1 debuted on July 27, 1997 on the Showtime premium cable network. After seeing impressive ratings on Showtime, the studio wanted wider distribution and moved the series to the SciFi network where it immediately became a cult classic. The series led by Richard Dean Anderson of MacGyver fame lasted for a total of ten seasons and on average cost MGM $1,400,000 to shoot. By its final season, the show surpassed the ratings of big hits like X-Files and attaining the title of the longest running consecutive sci-fi series on television. After an incredible ten year run, Stargate SG-1 was discontinued in August of 200, but the franchise lived on as Stargate Atlantis.

Stargate Atlantis was created in 2004 as a two part season finale for season 8 entitled "Lost City". The plot involves a group of military forces and civilian scientists that travel to the Pegasus galaxy in search of the Lost City of Atlantis. In its current incarnation, the series has seen great success and has proven over the years to draw the same level of followers as SG-1.

The future of the Stargate Universe is scheduled to include two direct-to-DVD films being released later this year entitled "Stargate: The Ark of Truth" and "Stargate: Continuum". In addition, there was a 2006 Comic-con announcement by Stargate creator Dean Devlin that he is currently in talks with MGM to produce the final two films in the trilogy and leverage the talents of James Spader and Kurt Russel.

The series today stands out as a remarkable example of creativity and vision of a better future. The series is one that will live on in multiple incarnations moving forward as ling as it retains the excellent writing staff and an uncanny ability to explore current social and political issues in a unique way.

Author: Morgan Kelps

To Learn more about the Stargate Universe check out http://stargate.ugo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Morgan_Kelps

Technorati Tags: Science Fiction, Stargate, stargate altantis, Stargate SG-1

The best part of falling for a show is discovering that the actors in it are just as shamelessly fannish as you are.

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Actors Who Get Fandom [Actors]

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by John K. of Critical Myth

The first direct-to-DVD “Stargate” film, “The Ark of Truth”, was burdened with the task of condensing a season’s worth of resolution to the Ori arc in the space of about 90 minutes.  The writers did well enough under the circumstances, but it was clear that the plot was the overriding consideration. Stargate – Continuum also seeks to resolve a lingering plot thread from the final season of “Stargate SG-1”, but generally speaking, the writers had more freedom with the story.

In essence, the plot boils down to this: Ba’al, the last of the System Lords, has finally been captured (and we shall never speak of the Ba’al clones again).  In a last ditch effort to reverse his fortunes, Ba’al uses a time machine to prevent the relocation of the original stargate from Giza in the late 1930s.  Jackson, Carter, and Mitchell are in the middle of gate transit when this happens, so they retain their memories of the original timeline when they arrive in the altered reality.  Hilarity ensues.
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Technorati Tags: Review Stargate Continuum, Stargate, Stargate SG-1

From SciFi Pulse:  By Ian M. Cullen

Synopsis: An elite military unit (SG-1) must flee back to Earth when two members of their team inexplicably disappear into thin air. But they return to a world in which the Stargate – an Ancient device which allows them to travel to hundreds of planets – was never discovered, and their own history has been erased. Now they must convince a dubious government and military that the timeline was altered by a powerful Alien enemy (Ba’al) in order to conquer Earth, and time is not on their side.

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Technorati Tags: Stargate Continuum Review, Stargate SG-1

Beloved Stargate SG-1 character and science fiction television fixture, Don Sinclair Davis died on June 29, 2008 at the age of 65. Best known for playing Major General/Lieutenant General George S. Hammond in the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 from 1997 to 2004.

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Technorati Tags: Don B. Davis, Stargate, Stargate SG-1

Big Finish productions, who also produces many Dr. Who audio adventures, has teamed up with MGM to produce a series of audiobooks available as online download or CD. The one hour long dramas will feature one main cast member, with possibly an additional cast member. There will be three Stargate SG-1 and three Stargate Atlantis stories. Please note that these are not books that are read aloud but are audio dramas. The current line-up is as follows:

• April 30 – SG-1 “Gift of the gods” written by Sally Malcolm Read by Michael Shanks
• May 30 – SGA “Necessary Evil” written by Sharon Gosling Read by Torri Higginson
• June 30 – SG-1 “Shell Game” written by James Swallow Read by Claudia Black and Michael Shanks
• July 30 – SGA “Perchance to Dream” written by Sally Malcolm Read by Paul McGillion
• August 30 – SG-1 “Pathogen” written by Sharon Gosling Read by Teryl Rothery
• September 20 – SGA “No title yet” written by James Swallow Read by David Nykl

Big Finish Productions will launch their downloading service beginning February 1. For future information on the SG-1/SGA audio dramas (nothing is noted there as of yet), please visit the Big Finish Productions website.

http://www.bigfinish.com/index.asp

On March 11, MGM Home Entertainment will release “Stargate – The Ark of Truth” on DVD, which continues the story beyond the SG-1 series finale, “Unending.” Stargate SG-1 is the longest running American sci-fi series and the first to receive the United States Air Force’s seal of approval; the series has also gotten for Saturn awards, nine Leo awards and eight Emmy nominations, as well as two Gemini awards.

Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright are the creators of The Ark of Truth, which also stars Amanda Tapping, Ben Broder, Claudia Black, Christopher Judge, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Beau Bridges, and Michael Shanks. Tapping won the 2005 Saturn Award for Best Supporting TV Actress in the series.

Plot synopsis: As Stargate – The Ark of Truth opens, SG-1 is searching for an ancient weapon which may help them quash the Ori force. Unfortunately, SG-1 also finds itself in the Ori home galaxy in battle with two enemies. The team also discovers that the Ori are about to launch a final attack on the Earth. Worse yet, they also discover that an I.O. is set to cross them and is already aboard the Odyssey.

In addition to “” the DVD includes special features such as commentary from director of photography, Peter Woeste, actor Christopher Judge, and writer, director and producer Robert C. Cooper. It also includes the featurettes: “Uncovering The Ark of Truth,” “Stargate SG-1: The Road Taken: Prelude to The Ark of Truth,” and “The Ark of Truth: Stargate at Comic-Con.” The pre-book release will be on February 13, with retail cost suggested at 37.98 Canadian or $26.98 US.

Technorati Tags: Amanda Tapping, Beau Bridges, Ben Broder, Brad Wright, Christopher Judge, Claudia Black, Michael Shanks, Ori, Peter Woeste, Saturn Award, Stargate, Stargate - The Ark of Truth

“Stargate: The Ark of Truth,” the first of two direct-to-video movies based on the long-running “Stargate: SG-1″ TV series, will debut March 11 on DVD, MGM Home Entertainment is set to announce today.

The film concludes the primary story line of Season 9 and Season 10, picking up after “Unending,” the series finale.

Amanda Tapping, Beau Bridges, Christopher Judge, Michael Shanks, Ben Browder and Claudia Black returned to reprise their roles in the original series, which went off the air in March.

Robert C. Cooper, who executive produced the TV series, had the same role with “Ark of Truth.” He also wrote and directed the film, which follows the Stargate SG-1 crew searching for an ancient weapon that could help them defeat the sinister Ori force, only to find themselves in a distant galaxy fighting two powerful enemies.

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The second direct-to-video movie, “Stargate: Continuum,” is being helmed by Martin Wood, who directed more than 70 episodes of “Stargate: SG-1″ and its spinoff, “Stargate: Atlantis.” A DVD release date for “Continuum” has not been set.

Why move the “Stargate” franchise to DVD?

“The show was not renewed after 10 record-breaking seasons,” said Cooper, who provides a commentary track on the “Ark of Truth” DVD. “Ratings were still strong at the time the show ended its run on Sci Fi Channel and continue to be strong for ‘Atlantis.’ ‘Stargate: SG-1′ is the longest-running science fiction show in history, and sales of the TV-DVDs do very well. And, essentially, we believed there were still ‘SG-1′ stories to tell, and the studio obviously thought there was a market for the product.”

The two direct-to-video movies are quite different, Cooper said, adding that he hopes they set the groundwork for more DVD movies based on the series.

” ‘Stargate: The Ark of Truth’ really is much more of a conclusion — the final chapter in the Ori story line that had been the major arc for seasons 9 and 10,” he said. “There were a number of unresolved story and character issues, and we felt a responsibility to fans to wrap things up in a big way.”

“Continuum,” on the other hand, is “a good old-fashioned ‘SG-1′ stand-alone story that will hopefully show our audience that there are still ‘SG-1′ stories to be told with this cast beyond the wrap-up in ‘Ark of Truth,’ ” he said.

“We obviously hope both movies together can help ‘SG-1′ transition into a series of these types of films,” Cooper said. “If they also bring new fans to the franchise and maybe inspire people to go back and watch the show in reruns or on DVD, that would be great, too.”

While the movies are based on the “SG-1″ TV series, they have a different look and feel than the original TV episodes, Cooper said.

“Overall, the movies feel like they are a little bigger and a little richer than the show,” he said. “We shot in 35mm film, framed for 16×9, and spent the money on some sets and locations we never could have afforded on the series. We also shot the movies with a bigger scope in mind. In TV, you tend to concentrate a little more on close-ups, but in this case we tried to shoot a little wider. And we also were able to afford a symphonic musical score.”

Creatively, there are differences as well. “On the show, we had a five-act structure, and we designed the stories around commercial breaks,” Cooper said. “As such, on average you really ended up with about a seven- or eight-minute climactic sequence in each episode. The DTVs are more structurally like movies, with a beginning, middle and ending — long, sustained action that ramps up to a satisfying conclusion.”

News Article Courtesy of Hollywood Reporter

Technorati Tags: Stargate, Stargate - The Ark of Truth, Stargate SG-1